What's happening
Writing a plain-English summary… Track this bill to get it by email.
Why it matters
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to health care practitioner volunteer pilot programs
Purpose
This bill would permit the establishment of a pilot program in Uniondale to demonstrate the delivery of free basis primary health care services to uninsured low income individuals by volunteer physicians and other volunteer health care professionals.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends Section 260 of the Public Health Law to include the unincorporated community of Uniondale in the town of Hempstead to the list of eligible locations for a health care practitioner pilot program.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Existing law
Existing law requires that health care services be delivered by an entity licensed by the State Department of Health, such as a hospital, clinic, or doctor's office. Compliance with such licensure requirements places an unneeded administrative burden 011 small volunteer programs seeking to deliver free care to uninsured low income individuals. In 2002 chapter 337 of the Laws of 2002 was passed to permit the Commissioner to waive, modify, or suspend rules and regulations which would impede the successful implementation of a health care practitioner pilot program in the county of Schenectady. In 2006 this program became permanent. This law would allow expansion of the pilot program in the unincorporated community of Uniondale, in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County.
Justification
In spite of New York's extraordinary efforts to extend health care coverage broadly throughout the population, there are pockets of uninsured low-income individuals who have little access to primary health care. one approach to solving this problem involves volunteer physicians and other health care professionals who offer free basic primary care, typically working from sites which serve homeless and other low-income persons. Since its inception in 2002, the pilot program in Schenectady County has seen nearly 3,500 patients and has delivered free medical care, lab tests, and medications valued at over $1 million. Most of its patients are unemployed and 95% have no insurance coverage. Volunteer physicians and registered nurses have donated over 6,200 hours of service. This legislation would allow a similar pilot program to begin operations in Uniondale.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
The availability of a volunteer program will likely reduce inappropriate emergency room use by uninsured persons, reducing costs to hospitals and to the Bad Debt and Charity Care Pool.
Local fiscal implications
May reduce local costs incurred by treating uninsured individuals on an emergency basis.
Effective date
Immediate.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.